Fishin Hodge

Well, I have been itching to night fish for about a month with this warm weather. First trip 3 weeks ago was unproductive, but tried my hand again last night with different results. Started out fishing in Long Creek before dark with spinnerbaits and crankbaits. The spinnerbait outproduced the crankbait in a bad way, but neither were that good. Caught a keeper crappie on a spinnerbait before heading out of the creek to find some clear water. Ran up past Emerald and realized I wasn't going to be finding any clear water this side of the dam. The water in this part of the lake is ugly to me. Fished it for 30 minutes and did catch one bass on a spinnerbait, but it was getting dark and I had no desire to be in that nasty water after dark. Headed back up the creek and it was completely dark by the time I started further up the creek. It started a little slow, one here, one there, but it kept getting better and better. As I was leaving I caught a fish on my very last cast. The first fish started to key me in. Caught her flipping a creature bait on a steeper bank with lots of big rocks and wood. Here she was. It didn't stop there. Had several other bites and caught several more bass before hooking this one on a signle spin. This was my favorite catch of the night. She slammed the spinnerbait and it sounded like an elephant had been dropped in the lake. She flopped all the way back to the boat; I really thought I had stuck a biggin, but she was a solid fish none the less. She came on a flatter bank, but was only one of two decent fish I caught on flat banks. Both nice fish on the flatter banks were caught on the spinner bait. Picked the creature bait back up and hit another steeper bank and the flipping bite was on. Went through a bunch of nice fish and several more missed fish. Flipped the bait up there again and felt the bump, set the hook and it was on. It was solid and I finally had a good one; I couldn't hardly move the fish. As I finally got here turned she broke the water slightly and I felt the roll. Here she is. Nice Flathead, just shy of 10 is my best guess. Kept going and caught another Flathead, smaller, and this nice bass on my creature bait. Pulled up on the bank were I had parked flinging the single spin again. Caught my last fish on my last cast and only had to crank the big motor to push the boat on the trailer. The fishing was great. I didn't catch the big bass that I wanted to, but I had a blast. I know there have been lots of reports of crowding, but I was the only boat at the ramp I unloaded at last night, and did not see another boat all night. Get out there and get you some. It was a peaceful night I will remember for a long time.

Points are typically good that time of year. Secondary points back in the coves usually catch the fish as they are moving back out from the spawn. My best luck this time of year is around pea gravel banks. Points are great, but sometimes just fishing down a pea gravel banks is the ticket. We have no grass and the fish normally haven't pulled out on the deep structure/trees by May. Fish have started recoperating from the spawn and are just hanging out from the bank to 20 foot of water eating when the opportunity presents itself. It will feel a lot like fishing a nothing bank if you aren't used to it, but our fish relate to it a lot of times. If the water is still in the bushes, you will want to at least give them a shot. Flipping some type of plastic up in them and hold on.

I am more of a mid-lake fisherman, but my best experiences on that part of the lake have been in Jimmy's Creek and Sister's Creek. By the start of May there will likely be a topwater bite on the bluff ends on the main lake and in those creeks. Redfin is pretty hard to beat that time of year on those bluff-end fish, just hit one and if they aren't there move to the next. Also like to hit the pea gravel banks with a shakey head and carolina rigs that time of year ecspecially when the water is down. If the water is still in the bushes then spinnerbaits/topwaters and flipping in those bushes may be the ticket. I am clueless on the cats, but good luck. Hope you catch them.

Love to flip it, like Tfsh said, if the water is in the bushes there will almost always be some fish in them anytime of year. In the hot part of summer when the fish should be deep, if the bushes are in the water, there are fish in them, and sometimes a lot of them. In dirty water flipping can obviously shine, but there have been times with 3 or 4 feet of visibility that I have flipped a natural colored gitzit with quite a bit of success. Prespawn and spawn are going to be the best times to get on a flipping bite in my opinion, but there are a lot of times it will work. In the river arms there can be flipping bite the majority of the year.

Do you make any of those with enough weight to throw them on spinning tackle or is that what you are using Fins? They are sweet looking. Like that purple/red tone.

Have to agree with steve on this one. If you are fishing table rock betwwen now and the middle of may you are bed fishing whether you are looking at them or not. While I do hate the thought of losing a bunch of fish for the future I don't see how much can be done about it or why looking at one is worse than flipping a bush or tossing a carolina rig toward the bank.

My bet is on a lot of inconsistency in the bags over 15 lbs. I was a bit suprised at the number of 15+ bags that were brought in considering the conditions prior to the tournament, but it sounds like there is a defined moved toward the bank in the past 2 or 3 days albeit the fish sound real skiddish. FLW is reporting 5 of the top 10 anglers are fishing the same area, some of the names mentioned were King, Welcher, and Nick the leader. That will be trouble for some of them if they don't have anything else to go to. A lot of these guys are amazing at adapting on the fly; most of them undoubtably had terrible practices. Seem to have gotten onto a crankbait bite. How the heck they catch big bedfish that aren't locked on very well is beyond me.

Well, after great thought and consideration of all the options we decided to hit War Eagle last night. Water was fairly colored at the sidewalk hole, but not nearly as dark as I figured it would be, exactly like the report we had going over. Fished on the flats there for 5 minutes before running up the creek as far as I felt I could get me bass boat. There is a Sycamore almost completely blocking off the creek, went around it about half a mile and started. Caught a few whites along the way, nothing huge, but fun none the less. There were a lot of males stacked up right below the sycamore tree over on the flat side of the creek. Fun but smaller. You could catch a lot of fish there if you wanted to yesterday. Kept moving and never hit the mother load of sows so we went back down to the Sidewalk hole to be sure there wasn't going to be some late evening striper action. Think it is a little to colored because there was no action to speak of other than a couple of carp. Heard some dock talk that a guy had caught around 60 crappie in the bushes. Two of them were big and the rest were around 8 inches. He was saying you had to yo yo the little jig in the bushes to get bit. He said when he did that he caught a lot, but if he just swam it he wasn't catching anything. Forgot to add, by the time we got to the back of War Eagle, the water had a nice color with 18-24 inch visibility.

The day in which we live. I am 28 years old nad feel very blessed to have what I do, an old wore out 2000 Basscat Cougar, seats tore all to heck, no reel seets to sit in for fishing, and a 10 year old X-15 on the front, but if I had a picture of her when I was 14 I would have swore I could never ask for more. I have a little jealousy from time to time when a freind that doesn't really fish that much pulls up in a new rig, with side imaging, radio, hydraulic jackplate, and 24K gold trimmed wheels. The truth of the matter is almost all of us are spoiled with all the blessings we given. Now on to the solution, the only thing I can think of is we put a dam at every possible location and flood as much earth as possible so we all have our own little spot. Joking...... sort of. Or maybe I can just build a little pond someday.

I am completely with you guys. If the Rock was fishing like it was a month or month and a half ago maybe slightly possible. Here is a link to the article. http://www.flwoutdoo...able-rock-lake/ Shaping up to be a real slugfest. Granted I don't think he had been on the lake recently. Bill, I realize there is noway to really know but do you think there is a chance it will completely bust open by the weekend or are we stuck in this rut for a while?

Alright, tell me about yesterday already? Is this still going on. I just want to make sure I don't have unrealistic expectations, but if I come over and run some flat points between Prarie Creek and the dam is their a good chance I am going to see this action? Tonight is the night if you guys can tell me it is still on, takes me about an hour an a half to get there but it sounds like it is worth it. Any information is appreciated.

Read somewhere that one of the pros thought it would take 57 pounds would make the top ten cut in 3 days of fishing. Unless something gives between now and then I am pretty sure he was wrong. If it does take 57 to make the 10 cut then I sure as heck wanna follow one of them 57ers around.

I am another that compliments Bass Pro on their handling of rod returns. Very reluctant to post about it as some no doubt abuse this type of info, but by the looks of it the cat is out of the bag. They will replace a rod and I think it is great. There have been rods that I broke, were I knew I was at fault; I will not take this product back to anyone although I fought with myselft over a $150 break once. Props to Bass Pro for their customer service on this part of their business. They have been better to me than my local stores can be, largely due to the volume of business they get. Additionally Shimano is going to work with Bass Pro more than a lot of places, they have no choice. I have found rods in the outlet store that I have personally returned with broken tips. They'll stick a replacement tip on them and sell a $120 rod for $50, which is probably what it cost them in the first place. Agree with Bill on the fact that a lot of breaks result from past/forgotten, or unknown abuse. Step on a rod or close it in the rod box or much less, maybe even 3 months later, snap... Bass Pro is huge and they make a ton of money, but don't abuse their kindness. We will all pay for it in the end, so be honest... Return what should be, but eat it if it was your mistake.

Captain Joe, Were you fishing that ABA 64 out of Cape Fair?

Caught one at Tucker Hollow once. They're aren't all that many of them. Difficult for conservation efforts too as they look so strange, people do not realize what they are, and end up killing them from showing them off. Just one of those things I guess. Weird little critters.

Glad to know it wasn't just me. Fished Long Creek Saturday morning, defined mud line working its way out to around Clevenger. Caught 2 keepers on an a-rig, channel swing bank with some wood, in the first 30 minutes with several short fish, and then it went dead. One of those being a nice meanmouth. Had another one straighten the snap on my Alabama rig I wish I had saw, but that is fishing. Caught one more nice black on a spinnerbait about noon on a pea gravel bank I like in the dirty water, and then nothing again. Loaded up the boat and put in at Mill Creek. Fished the Kimberling area from the main lake to the backs of the pockets for 2 or 3 hours and caught 1 random keeper on a Carolina rig. Tough day. 4 keepers and we had to work for them. Here is my buddy with our best two. Held them for the photo op and were released.

Bill, The wwekend was a tough one. Fished Saturday and had just over 10 pounds in my best 5. 6 keepers on the day with a handful of short fish. Fished a small tournament and took 12 pounds to win. Big fish was right at 6 pounds. All reports are good one day tough the next that I have heard. Fished from big creek to diamond city. The best banks were pea gravel to slightly bigger rock half way back in the pockets whether the pockets were on the main lake or the creeks. My better fish were on carolina rigged lizrds, but I did catch a couple on the a-rig. Actually caught 1 on a spook too. Very little crankbait bite. Water 56 to 62. Will try to keep you updated between now and then, should improve.

Don't worry D-Bag, last I checked people got on here to talk about fishing and like it or not it is going to come up with. Thanks for the information, I know I appreciate it. God forbid anyone mention an a-rig or a guy fishing without a license or something.

Can't speak for Table Rock, but I have been on Bull. Went Wednesday night and I think I jumped the gun just a bit. Really tough for me, but it has to be about to break over anyday. Good luck.

I think a rigs are great. Get ya one, you may like em; most of the folks that don't like them and think badly of them have never thrown one. It isn't a every fish that sees it must bite it deal. In the right situation they will catch fish better than anything else, but after 6 months of throwing it, there are times when it just doesn't work. I threw the thing in schooling whites last night and didn't get bit. I did however catch some on a small spinnerbait???? Another vote for swimming minnows.

I have an Arkansas fishing license live in Arkansas and do not receive reminders. My guess is they are either for out of staters, or people that purchase throught the mail, phone, or online. Regardless, it would be easy to forget. To call him a poacher is a joke. Should he have bought a license? Yes. Is he a bad guy? maybe, but not because he went fishing without a license. Awsome fish, I am envious.

Will try to keep you updated Bill. There is a lot changing right now best I can tell. Will know a little more after this weekend I hope, but the changes over the next couple weeks should be dramatic.

Can't wait; you all put on a great tournament. It sure was nice to pull up last year on a damp, cold, nasty, beautiful day, grab some great BBQ, a drink, weigh a fish or two and get back out there after another one. One of the funnest events you can fish. 1 lucky cast and you have yourself some money or even a boat. The experience and the food alone are well worth the money.

Fins - wouldn't you agree that Beaver and Bull Shoals are extremely similar. Both flood some years and are dry others. Look at the Bass in Beaver and look at the bass in Bull. If you think the bass population and size are comparable then you are lying to yourself. Kentucky Bass and smallmouth too, wow the difference, same regulations. What do you attribute the difference to?? With all the factors against Bull it is still an awesome bass fishery. I fished a one man club tournament last Saturday and had 15.54, 5 fish. Not a shabby day in my book for January... I didn't draw a check. The place is a bass factory right now. As for the rainbows, they use to stock the lake with them. Back in the 60's and 70's they actually stocked rainbows and stripers at the same time, but stopped stocking stripers because they were eating all the trout per the game and fish commision. Trout don't bother me at all, in fact I would be all for that they make good food from what I hear. Thank you all for making me think and bringing up some arguements that I have not considered, but I remain convinced that stripers have a very real potential to be hazardous to black bass in Bull.